diff --git a/knife-solo.gemspec b/knife-solo.gemspec
index 0bad3af0..a41a4455 100644
--- a/knife-solo.gemspec
+++ b/knife-solo.gemspec
@@ -24,14 +24,14 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
    s.post_install_message = KnifeSolo.post_install_message
 
   s.add_development_dependency 'bundler'
-  s.add_development_dependency 'rake'
-  s.add_development_dependency 'mocha'
-  s.add_development_dependency 'rdoc'
   s.add_development_dependency 'fog'
+  s.add_development_dependency 'librarian', '~> 0.0.26'
   s.add_development_dependency 'minitest'
+  s.add_development_dependency 'mocha'
   s.add_development_dependency 'parallel'
+  s.add_development_dependency 'rake'
+  s.add_development_dependency 'rdoc'
 
   s.add_dependency 'chef',     chef_version
   s.add_dependency 'net-ssh',  '>= 2.2.2', '< 3.0'
-  s.add_dependency 'librarian', '~> 0.0.20'
 end
diff --git a/lib/chef/knife/solo_cook.rb b/lib/chef/knife/solo_cook.rb
index eaa60a4a..36a5599a 100644
--- a/lib/chef/knife/solo_cook.rb
+++ b/lib/chef/knife/solo_cook.rb
@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@ class SoloCook < Knife
 
       deps do
         require 'chef/cookbook/chefignore'
-        require 'librarian/action'
-        require 'librarian/chef'
         require 'pathname'
         KnifeSolo::SshCommand.load_deps
         KnifeSolo::NodeConfigCommand.load_deps
@@ -133,10 +131,27 @@ def time(msg)
       end
 
       def librarian_install
-        return unless File.exist? 'Cheffile'
-        ui.msg "Installing Librarian cookbooks..."
-        Librarian::Action::Resolve.new(librarian_env).run
-        Librarian::Action::Install.new(librarian_env).run
+        if !File.exist? 'Cheffile'
+          Chef::Log.debug "Cheffile not found"
+        elsif !load_librarian
+          ui.warn "Librarian-Chef could not be loaded"
+          ui.warn "Please add the librarian gem to your Gemfile or install it manually with `gem install librarian`"
+        else
+          ui.msg "Installing Librarian cookbooks..."
+          Librarian::Action::Resolve.new(librarian_env).run
+          Librarian::Action::Install.new(librarian_env).run
+        end
+      end
+
+      def load_librarian
+        begin
+          require 'librarian/action'
+          require 'librarian/chef'
+        rescue LoadError
+          false
+        else
+          true
+        end
       end
 
       def librarian_env
diff --git a/test/solo_cook_test.rb b/test/solo_cook_test.rb
index b99b654c..9d651ac7 100644
--- a/test/solo_cook_test.rb
+++ b/test/solo_cook_test.rb
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ def test_does_not_run_librarian_if_no_cheffile
 
   def test_runs_librarian_if_cheffile_found
     in_kitchen do
-      File.open("Cheffile", 'w') {}
+      FileUtils.touch "Cheffile"
       Librarian::Action::Install.any_instance.expects(:run)
       command("somehost").run
     end
@@ -46,12 +46,33 @@ def test_runs_librarian_if_cheffile_found
 
   def test_does_not_run_librarian_if_denied_by_option
     in_kitchen do
-      File.open("Cheffile", 'w') {}
+      FileUtils.touch "Cheffile"
       Librarian::Action::Install.any_instance.expects(:run).never
       command("somehost", "--no-librarian").run
     end
   end
 
+  def test_complains_if_librarian_gem_missing
+    in_kitchen do
+      FileUtils.touch "Cheffile"
+      cmd = command("somehost")
+      cmd.expects(:load_librarian).returns(false)
+      cmd.ui.expects(:err).with(regexp_matches(/librarian gem/))
+      Librarian::Action::Install.any_instance.expects(:run).never
+      cmd.run
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_wont_complain_if_librarian_gem_missing_but_no_cheffile
+    in_kitchen do
+      cmd = command("somehost")
+      cmd.expects(:load_librarian).never
+      cmd.ui.expects(:err).never
+      Librarian::Action::Install.any_instance.expects(:run).never
+      cmd.run
+    end
+  end
+
   def test_validates_chef_version
     in_kitchen do
       cmd = command("somehost")